Produced by Al Haines

SERMONS ON BIBLICAL CHARACTERS

BY

REV. CLOVIS G. CHAPPELL, D.D.

RICHARD R. SMITH, INC.

NEW YORK

1930

COPYRIGHT, 1922,

BY GEORGE H. DORAN COMPANY

SERMONS ON BIBLICAL CHARACTERS. II

PRINTED IN THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

CONTENTS

I THE MISSING MAN—THOMAS II THE GREAT REFUSAL—JONAH III THE ROMANCE OF FAITH—PETER IV LOVE'S LONGING—PAUL V GOING VISITING—JONATHAN VI THE WOMAN OF THE SHATTERED ROMANCES—THE WOMAN OF SYCHAR VII A GOOD MAN—BARNABAS VIII THE INQUEST—PHARAOH IX A SON OF SHAME—JEPHTHAH X A CASE OF BLUES—ELIJAH XI THE SUPREME QUESTION—THE PHILIPPIAN JAILER XII THE MOTHER-IN-LAW—NAOMI XIII CONFESSIONS OF A FAILURE—THE BUSY MAN XIV A MOTHER'S REWARD—JOCHEBED XV A GOOD MAN'S HELL—MANASSEH XVI A SHREWD FOOL—THE RICH FARMER

SERMONS ON BIBLICAL CHARACTERS

I

THE MISSING MAN—THOMAS

John 20:24

"Thomas, one of the twelve, called Didymus, was not with them whenJesus came." Did you notice the name of this man who was missing? Whowas it when the little company met after the crucifixion that was notthere? There was a man expected who failed to come. Who was this man?When the little company gathered in the upper room behind shut doorsthere was one chair that was vacant. Who should have occupied thatchair?

Well, in the first place, it was not Judas. He was missing. He wasnot there, it is true, but he was not expected. Judas had alreadybetrayed his Lord. Judas had already been whipped and scourged by hisremorse of conscience clean out of the world. Judas had gone to hisown place in the great Unseen Country. Judas was not there, but he wasnot expected to be there.

Who was the missing man? It was not Pilate. We no more expectedPilate than we expected Judas. Pilate had had his chance at Jesus.Pilate had had an opportunity of knowing, of befriending Him, ofserving Him. But Pilate had allowed his own interests to get thebetter of his conscience. Pilate had chosen the friendship of Caesarand had spurned the friendship of the King Eternal. So we did notexpect Pilate to be present in this little company of the friends ofJesus who met on the resurrection side of the cross. Who was themissing man? It was not Caiaphas. He, too, had stood in the presenceof Jesus, but his envy had made him blind. And he shouted "Blasphemy!"so loud that he drowned the voice of his conscience and the gentlewhisperings of the Spirit of God. No, it was not Caiaphas, nor any ofthe indifferent or hostile crowd that we miss in this meeting.

Then, who was this missing man? And we read the text again and we findhis name was Thomas. That is a very familiar name. Oh, yes; weremember Thomas quite well. It was Thomas who was missing. Now,Thomas was expected, for he was a member of the little band ofdisciples. He was one of the Twelve. He belonged to the Inner Circle.His fellow Christians had a right therefore to expect him. Yet Thomaswas not with them.

It is a sad day ever for any congregation when its own membership beginto absent themselves from its services. It is a sad day for anycongregation when those who compose it can be counted

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